Encapsulated production chemicals

Abstract

A method of performing an oilfield treatment that includes delivering to an oilfield fluid a host-guest complex, wherein the host-guest complex is formed from a solution of host molecule mixed with a guest molecule having opposing solubility from the host molecule; wherein the host molecule is present in the solution in an amount of at least 2×10−6 M.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A method of performing an oilfield treatment, comprising:
 delivering to an oilfield fluid an oil-field treatment composition, comprising: 
 a host-guest complex, wherein the host-guest complex is formed from a solution of an aqueous base fluid and host molecule encapsulating a guest molecule having opposing solubility from the host molecule; 
 wherein the host molecule is present in the solution in an amount of at least 2×10 6 M; and 
 wherein the guest molecule comprises alkyl benzene sulfonic acid and is not independently soluble in the aqueous base fluid. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the guest molecule is within a second solution that is not miscible with the first solution. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the guest molecule is a solid. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the host molecule is a dendrimer-comprising polyester polyols. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the host molecule is a dendrimer having a degree of branching of ranging from about 0.5 to 1. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the host molecule is a dendrimer having at least 6 functional end groups. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dendrimer is functionalized with oil-soluble functional groups. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the oil-soluble functional groups are selected from fatty acids, polyisobutylene succinimides, polyisobutylene succinic anhydride, alkyl epoxides, 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl) propionic acid, propylene oxide, and/or alkyl ether carboxylic acids. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dendrimer is functionalized with water-soluble functional groups. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the water-soluble functional groups are selected from succinic anhydride, phosphonic acid, caprolactone, caprolactam, carboxylic acids, phosphate groups, alcohol groups, amide groups, amine groups, quaternized amine groups, imidazolines, ethylene oxide groups, polyethylene glycol, sulfonic acid groups, and/or polylactic acid. 
     
     
       11. An oil-field treatment composition, comprising:
 an aqueous base fluid; and a host molecule encapsulating a guest molecule, wherein the guest molecule comprises alkyl benzene sulfonic acid and is not independently soluble in the aqueous base fluid. 
 
     
     
       12. The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the host molecule is a dendrimer comprising polyester polyols. 
     
     
       13. The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the host molecule is functionalized with water soluble functional groups selected from succinic anhydride, phosphonic acid, caprolactone, caprolactam, carboxylic acids, phosphate groups, alcohol groups, amide groups, amine groups, quaternized amine groups, imidazolines, ethylene oxide groups, propylene oxide groups, polyethylene glycol, sulfonic acid groups, and/or polylactic acid. 
     
     
       14. The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the guest molecule comprises an alkyl benzene sulfonic acid. 
     
     
       15. A method of treating a fluid, comprising:
 adding an oil-field treatment composition to a hydrocarbon fluid; wherein the oil-field treatment composition, comprises: 
 an aqueous base fluid; and 
 a host molecule encapsulating a guest molecule, wherein the guest molecule is not independently soluble in the base fluid and comprises an alkyl benzene sulfonic acid.